The Southern Maryland Navy Alliance’s mission is to work with all levels of the Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), Congressional Representatives, and other key decision makers to develop and support a focused strategy that supports the Navy, Naval Aviation, the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River and St. Inigoes activities. The Naval Air Station supports Southern Maryland’s economy by providing over 22,000 jobs directly to the local community and 6.6 billion dollars to the state’s economy. It is the mission of the Southern Maryland Navy Alliance to support the facilities at NAS as an economic asset and resource to the Southern Maryland region.
The Governor’s current initiative to provide Green Energy to Maryland through the development of wind turbine farms off the coast of Maryland could have the potential to negatively impact NAS’s Atlantic Test Ranges and the Navy’s mission to support Naval Aviation in Southern Maryland. We understand that specific areas off the coast of Maryland have been identified as compatible for wind turbine farms without impact to the Atlantic Test Ranges. We are requesting that the Governor and his staff consider these areas when negotiating with the wind turbine contractors and consider the potential impact to Southern Maryland and the state. The Navy Alliance supports Green Energy initiatives as long as they do not interfere with or jeopardize the mission of NAS Patuxent River and St. Inigoes and in turn impact the economic engine that has made Southern Maryland successful and a great place to live.
V/R
Ed Sierra
President
Southern Maryland Navy Alliance